Hat with integrated headband and hair sheath

ABSTRACT

A head covering is provided. In one example, a covering includes a cap and a headband having a back portion. The headband is affixed to the cap such that the back portion is detached from the cap. In another example, a method of manufacturing a cap is provided. The method comprises affixing a headband comprising a back portion to a cap, wherein the back portion is detached from the cap. The method further comprises affixing a sheath to a sheath adapter and affixing the sheath adapter to the headband.

PRIORITY

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/329,660, filed Apr. 30, 2010, entitled “HAT WITH INTEGRATED HEADBAND AND MODULAR HAIR SHEATH,” the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

A typical cap usually loses its purchase on the back of a user's skull, especially when the user's hair extends below the cap. Loosing purchase causes the cap to slip forward, fall off, mess the user's hair, or cause discomfort. In addition, typical caps hold user's hair against their neck, causing discomfort and possibly wetting the hair, for example, with sweat during physical exertion.

SUMMARY

A head covering is provided. In one example, a covering includes a cap and a headband having a back portion. The headband is affixed to the cap such that the back portion is detached from the cap. In another example, a method of manufacturing a cap is provided. The method comprises affixing a headband comprising a back portion to a cap, wherein the back portion is detached from the cap. The method further comprises affixing a sheath to a sheath adapter and affixing the sheath adapter to the headband.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side pictorial view of one embodiment of a short hair head covering.

FIG. 2 is a side pictorial of one embodiment of a wide sheath head covering.

FIG. 3 is a side pictorial of one embodiment of a long hair head covering in different states of being worn to show all components.

FIGS. 4 through 11 show an example method of using a long hair head covering.

FIG. 12 is a side pictorial of an example bandana version of a short hair head covering.

FIG. 13 is a side pictorial of an example bandana version of a long hair head covering with a sheath.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments described herein provide a head covering with an integrated headband. Alternative embodiments describe a knit cap, skullcap, bandana, or do-rag with an additional and fully integrated headband. The integrated headband allows the wearer with any hair style to benefit from the sleek look of a closely fitting cap by providing additional grip. Also, the headband allows a longhaired wearer to benefit from the comfort and moisture wicking qualities that a headband provides by laying against the skin of the forehead and between the skin of the neck and the hairline at the skull's base.

Embodiments of the integrated headband described herein hold the cap effectively by sitting lower on the user's skull and against their neck while being pressed down by the weight of the user's hair and the back of the cap. Also, embodiments of the integrated headband hold the hair off the neck. Alternate embodiments of the integrated headband further comprise a sheath. The sheath, for example, holds the user's hair away from their neck. For relatively long to very long hair styles, the sheath, for example, reduces the likelihood that the hair becomes tangled by wind, reduces “hat hair” (for example, an impression of a hat on the user's hair once the hat is removed) by holding the hair neatly. The sheath also may reduce the chance of the hair from getting caught in machinery or from falling into food, for example.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a side view of an embodiment of a head covering 100 (also referred to herein as a covering). The head covering 100 comprises a cap 101 and a headband 102. In this embodiment, the head covering 100 is a short haired version that can be implemented for people with nearly any hair length. The headband 102 is comprised of a strip of material and is affixed to the inside of the cap 101. One embodiment of the headband 102 is comprised of a stretch material, such as elastic. Furthermore, any part of the head covering 100 comprises materials including for example elastics, leather, cotton, synthetics, or combinations thereof. In one implementation the headband 102 is placed between a user's neck and hair, while the back portion of the cap 101 goes over the user's hair. Various embodiments of the head covering including any shape, cutting, design, and the like are contemplated.

In some examples, the cap has an approximate shape of a portion of a sphere or a portion of an ovoid. The cap may have a shape approximating that of a human head.

In one embodiment, the headband 102 creates tension that forms the head covering 100 to the user's head. The headband 102 may provide under the hair comfort and performance. The cap 101 may provide over the hair appearance by covering the skull and hair from part way down on a user's forehead to near the base of the user's skull. The cap 101 may smooth the hair to reduce tangles, may provide comfort while being worn under a helmet, or may wick moisture from the user's forehead. The head covering 100 may be used by users with shorter hair styles, for example, a short bob style haircut or a “duck's tail” hair style. The head covering 100 may also allow users with hair exceeding the minimum length required to make a ponytail, for example, shoulder length hair to waist length hair, to display their hair if they do not desire containment. As described herein, long hair and short hair are relative terms and are not necessarily limited to any specific length of hair.

FIG. 2 is a side pictorial of one embodiment of a wide sheath head covering 200. In one embodiment, the wide sheath head covering 200 is a do rag style. The wide sheath head covering 200 comprises a cap 201, a headband 202, and a wide sheath 203. The wide sheath 203 covers the hair and can have any width from approximately the width of the user's neck to the width of their shoulders. The materials described above with respect to head covering 100 can be used to construct the wide sheath head covering 200. The wide sheath head covering 200 may provide the same performance achieved by the headband 102 in FIG. 1 by providing the appearance of a do rag and providing a headband that lays between the hair at the base of the skull and the skin of the neck. The sheath can move around (for example, blow in the wind) and still may reduce tangles in the user's hair, thereby mimicking the hair itself and appealing to users who desire a different appearance than their hair alone.

FIG. 3 is a side pictorial of one embodiment of a long hair head covering 300. The long hair head covering 300 comprises a cap 301, a headband 302, a sheath adapter 303, and a sheath 304. These elements can be constructed from the same breadth of materials as the short hair head covering 100. One embodiment of the sheath 304 is the length of the user's hair, however sheath 304 can be any length. The sheath 304 is any width, for example, from approximately the width of the user's neck to the width of a bound ponytail. For example, a circumference of the sheath 304 may be anywhere from approximately 1 centimeters (cm) to approximately 60 cm. The long hair head covering 300 may provide a high level of functionality for vigorous physical exertion or activities requiring protection from food contamination or tangling in dangerous machinery. The cap 301 and the sheath 304 contain the hair. The sheath adapter 303 attaches the sheath 304 to the cap 301 and the headband 302. Examples of the long hair covering 300 may be used by users who do not have long hair.

Because the construction of the long hair head covering 300 is smooth in one embodiment, it may be comfortable under a helmet and other headgear. For example, the smoothness may not interfere with the safety of a helmet because it may not interfere with proper helmet positioning. Such helmets may include hard hats, rock and ice climbing helmets, full face motorcycle or snowmobile helmets that grip the head at the base of the skull, or other types of head coverings. In some examples, the head covering 100 or long hair head covering 300 may be incorporated into a helmet. A head covering 100 or the long hair head covering 300 incorporated into a helmet may be affixed to the helmet.

A smoothness of the long hair head covering 300 may allow the long hair head covering 300 to be worn under a balaclava or other soft headware product, and functions to prevent the movement of the helmet or balaclava from causing the hair to encroach onto the forehead and into a user's eyes. Thus, the long hair head covering 300 may provide relative comfort even if the long haired user is also wearing a balaclava, goggles, full face helmet, and neck brace. Without a hair management system in these scenarios, the hair may become tangled, wet, or uncomfortable against the back of the user's neck and forehead. The long hair head covering 300 reduces the probability of these problems occurring.

FIGS. 4 through 11 show a step by step method for using the long hair head covering 300. The method for using the short hair head covering 100 is described adequately by viewing only FIGS. 4, 5, 6, and 10. The hair may be pulled or placed into a ponytail, for example with an elastic hair tie, as in FIG. 4. Turn the cap 301 inside out as in FIG. 4, then roll up the sheath 304 all the way up against the sheath adapter 303. Pull the long hair head covering 300 at least partially over the forehead by grasping the folded crown so that it sits below the hair as in FIGS. 5 and 6, for example, as though applying a simple hair band. As shown in FIG. 7, pull the ponytail through the narrow sheath 304 and sheath adapter 303 with the index finger and thumb. If a hair tie was used while the ponytail was pulled through the narrow sheath 304, the hair tie may be removed. In other examples, the hair tie may be retained, for example, for after the user has removed the long hair head covering 300. FIG. 8 demonstrates how one example of the long hair head covering 300 looks from the rear after the hair has been pulled through the narrow sheath 304. Roll down the narrow sheath 304 as in FIG. 9. As in FIG. 10, grasp the front of the cap 301 with one hand, and pull the rear of the cap 301 with the other hand thereby turning the long hair head covering 300 right side out and positioning the cap 301 at the rear of the skull. When complete, the long hair head covering 300 should look as in FIG. 11.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show the versatility of the design, as the cap may be constructed with a material that does not stretch, for example a cotton bandana. The cap may be constructed of a single piece of material. One example of single piece construction is shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. The cap may be constructed in other ways including, but not limited to fixing multiple pieces of material together to form the cap. In FIGS. 12 and 13, the cap is applied with a knot, but it could also be a no knot system.

Examples also comprise a method of manufacturing a cap. An example method may comprise affixing a headband comprising a back portion to a cap, wherein the back portion is detached from the cap. The method may further comprise affixing a sheath to a sheath adapter and affixing the sheath adapter to the headband. Affixing the sheath to the sheath adapter may further include attaching a first edge of the sheath circumferentially around a perimeter of a hole defined in the sheath adapter. As used herein, affixing relates to directly attaching one component to another. Also as used herein, coupling relates to directly or indirectly attaching one component to another. For example, one component, such as a sheath, may be coupled to a cap, wherein the sheath may affixed to a sheath adapter, wherein the sheath adapter may be affixed to a headband, and the headband may be affixed to the cap.

An example method of wearing a head covering may include folding a first half of the cap at least partially over a second half of the cap and placing a cap over a head, such that a sheath coupled to the cap is orientated towards a back of the head. The method may further include pulling hair attached to the head through the sheath and unfolding the first half of the cap from the second half of the cap. The method may further include rolling up the sheath prior to pulling the hair through the sheath. Also, the method may include putting the cap around a neck, wherein the sheath portion is located between the neck and hair. 

1. A covering, comprising: a cap; and a headband having a back portion, wherein the headband is affixed to the cap such that the back portion is detached from the cap.
 2. The covering of claim 1, further comprising: a sheath adapter, wherein the sheath adapter is affixed to the headband.
 3. The covering of claim 2, further comprising: a sheath, wherein the sheath is affixed to the sheath adapter.
 4. The covering of claim 3, wherein the sheath is formed into a cylindrical tube open at a first end.
 5. The covering of claim 3, wherein an opening is formed between the sheath adapter and the sheath.
 6. The covering of claim 3, wherein the sheath comprises a length of approximately one millimeter to approximately two meters.
 7. The covering of claim 1, further comprising: wherein the headband is approximately half the length of a circumference of the widest portion of the cap; and wherein the headband is affixed to the cap at two approximately opposing points on the cap.
 8. The covering of claim 1, wherein the headband is affixed to an underside of the cap.
 9. The covering of claim 1, wherein the headband comprises an elastic material.
 10. The covering of claim 1, wherein the cap comprises one of an elastic material, leather, a cotton material, a synthetic material, or combinations thereof.
 11. The covering of claim 1, wherein the cap comprises a shape approximately matching one of a portion of an ovoid, a portion of a sphere, or a human head.
 12. A method of manufacturing a cap, comprising: affixing a headband comprising a back portion to a cap, wherein the back portion is detached from the cap; affixing a sheath to a sheath adapter; and affixing the sheath adapter to the headband.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein affixing the sheath to the sheath adapter further comprises attaching a first edge of the sheath circumferentially around a perimeter of a hole defined in the sheath adapter.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the cap has a shape approximating a portion of a sphere.
 15. A method of wearing a head covering, comprising: folding a first half of the cap at least partially over a second half of the cap; placing a cap over a head, such that a sheath coupled to the cap is orientated towards a back of the head; pulling hair attached to the head through the sheath; and unfolding the first half of the cap from the second half of the cap.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: rolling up the sheath prior to pulling the hair through the sheath.
 17. The method of claim 15, further comprising: putting the cap around a neck, wherein the sheath portion is located between the neck and hair. 